Row boat covers



Dec. 20, 1960 J. RUSSO ROW BOAT COVERS Filed Dec. 24, 1958 INVENTOR.

F nn

ATTUP/VFY ROW BOAT COVERS Jack Russo, 502 Brinkerhoif Ave., Palisades, NJ.

Filed Dec. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 782,961

3 Claims. (Cl. 135-6) This invention concerns an improved rowboat cover or canopy.

According to the invention there is provided a pair of frames supporting windows at opposite ends of the boat. The windows are openable and adjustable in the open position. The frames also support transparent or translucent plastic hoods upon which may be slidably mounted a pair of hood extensions or hood covers. The hood covers are provided with transparent or translucent flexible flaps which can be rolled up if desired. The hood covers are removable and can be used in the rowboat as auxiliary seats, seat backs, and the like.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved cover or canopy for a rowboat.

It is a further object to provide a rowboat with slidable and retractable transparent plastic hoods.

It is another object to provide adjustably supported hoods in a rowboat canopy with flexible flaps.

It is another object to provide a rowboat with removable frames adapted to support hoods upon which can be slidably mounted one or more hood covers having depending flexible flaps.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a rowboat including a canopy embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the rowboat on a reduced scale, showing the canopy arranged in one way according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view similar to Fig. 2 showing the canopy arranged in another way according to the invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 3, this view being enlarged in length and shortened in width with respect to Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of one hood cover arranged to form a head and backrest.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an interior end elevational view of a hood.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a rowboat 10 having a wide stern end 12 and a narrow bow end 14. Upon the upper sides of the boat are mounted rowlocks 16 for retaining oars in rowing the boat.

The inner sides of the boat near the stern and bow ends are provided with opposed grooves 18 and 20. 'Grooves 18 receive and support a frame 24 while grooves 20 support a frame 22. Each of the frames includes an inverted U-shaped member 26 having a central post 28. The post defines two spaces with the sides of the frame in which are pivotally mounted window panes 30. The panes pivot on threaded pins 34 which extend through the opposite sides of the frame and carry wing nuts 36. These wing nuts permit the windows to be adjusted and atented Dec. 20, 1960 held in angularly disposed positions such as shown by one window pane 30 in Fig. 1.

An inwardly extending molding 38 in each window space provides a stop to limit the window against inward movement. On the inner side of the U-shaped member 26 is a groove 40 best shown in Figs. 4 and 7 in which is secured a plastic sheet bent to form a hood. Frame 22 carries hood 42 and frame 24 carries hood 44. These hoods extend toward each other and are supported in cantiliver fashion by the frames so that persons who sit under the hoods on seats 45-48 in the boat can lean out of the boat, extend out their arms, work the oars, and otherwise enjoy freedom of motion without interference by the hood supports.

The hoods may be made of clear or colored rigid transparent plastic material such as an acrylic or the like.

Slidably disposed upon hoods 42 and 44 may be mounted hood covers 50 and 52. One hood cover may be longer than the other. Each hood cover, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 6, is bent to an inverted, generally U-shaped cross section to conform with the outer curvature of hoods 42, 44. The hood covers have inwardly and upwardly turned flange portions 54 which provide means for engaging the straight depending sides of the hoods. The flange portions form grooves in which engage the free edges of the hoods. Thus, the hood covers can be advanced or retracted on the hoods. One or both of the hood covers can be disposed on one of the hoods or the hood covers can be each mounted on a separate hood.

Fig. 2 shows both hood covers 50 and 52 mounted on the same hood 42 with hood 44 standing free. The hood covers 50 and 52 carry laterally disposed depending flaps 56, 58 and 62, 64, respectively. These flaps are made of transparent clear or colored flexible plastic material such as vinyl. The flaps have apertures near their lower free ends for engaging on pins 60 mounted in spaced alignment on the sides of the boat. The flaps can be attached by stitching, rivets or adhesive 61 to the hood covers as shown in Fig. 6.

Figs. 3 and 4 show cover 50 removed from hood 42 and disposed on seat 45 for use as a backrest. The flaps 56, 58 are rolled up in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. l to provide a resilient backrest. To insure that the flaps stay in the rolled position, snap fastener elements 59 can be placed on the inner side of flaps 56 and 62 and mating fastener elements 63 can be located on the inner sides of flaps 58 and 64. When the flaps are rolled up, these fastener elements can be engaged just over the center of the top of the hood cover.

In Fig. 3, hood 44 supports hood cover 52 with the flaps 62, 64 rolled down and secured on pins 60. Fig. 4 illustrates how the hood cover 50 with rolled flaps 56, 58 serve as a backrest on seat 45 by fitting snugly in between the sides of the boat. The hood cover can be made semi-flexible so that it can be bent to fit within the sides of the boat if the hood cover should be normally slightly wider than the inside of the boat.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the hood cover 50 employed as a head and backrest with flap 56 rolled up to serve as a pillow and with flap 58 stretched out to serve as a backrest and waterproof sheet. This serves as a useful beach accessory. Hood cover 50 or 52 can, of course, also be used as a seat or seat back by placing it on one of the seats or by standing it up on a seat with the flaps rolled up in either case. The window frame 22 or 24 will serve to support the hood cover when it is used as a backrest as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will be noted that the rower of the boat who will normally sit upon seat 46, can elect to be covered and protected from the sun only by the hood 42 as shown in Fig. 3. Alternatively, he can employ the hood cover 50 to serve as a hood extension as shown in .Fig. 1 To protect occupants at the bow end 14 of the boat from wind, spray, and rain, one or both of the transparent flaps 62, 64 can be let down. If the rower desires, he can let down the flaps 56, 58 and still row the boat by leaving the'bottoms of the flaps unattached with respect to the pins 60, while the flaps afford protection from wind, spray and rain.

All of the hoods, windows, hood covers, and flaps can be made of clear or colored transparent plastic material, or they can be colored or colorless translucent plastic material.

If desired, one or both frames with their attached hoods can be easily removed from the boat since these frames only rest in the grooves 18 and 20 and are supported at the lower ends of the grooves. The seats 45 and 48 can be located at the lower ends of the grooves to serve as supplementary frame supports as shown in Fig. 1.

There has thus been provided for the rowboat a pair of frames which support pivotally adjustable windows. Hoods or canopy sections are carried by the frames. Hood covers are provided for the hoods to serve as extensions. The entire top of the boat between the frames can be covered by extending the hood covers to abut near the center of the boat. Each hood cover is provided with flaps which can be rolled up if desired. It is possible to provide further interior flaps 76 on the stationary hoods 42 or 44, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, so that the sides of the boat between the frames 22, 24 can be completely enclosed by the hoods, hood covers and flaps.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A rowboat cover, comprising a pair of frames removably supported near opposite ends of the rowboat in vertically upstanding positions, a pair of hoods carried at the top of the frames respectively and extending toward each other in cantilever fashion and hood covers slidaoly mounted on the hoods and adapted to extend beyond the hoods to abut each other to provide an overhead cover for the rowboat between said hoods, each of said hood covers carrying depending flaps adapted to be rolled up and secured on the top of the hood cover, each of said frames having a window pivotally mounted therein, each window being provided with means for holding the window in a pivotally adjusted position with respect to the frame, said hoods and hood covers being formed of transparent plastic material, said flaps being formed of transparent flexible material, each of said hoods having an inverted U-shaped cross section, each of said hood covers having an inverted U-shaped cross section whose interior surface conforms in curvature to the curvature of the exterior of the hood, each hood cover having depending sides with inturned and upwardly extending flanged ends defining grooves to engage free depending sides of the hoods.

2. A rowboat cover, comprising a pair of frames removably supported near opposite ends of the rowboat in vertically upstanding positions, a pair of hoods carried at the top of the frames respectively and extending toward each other' in cantilever fashion and hood covers slidably mounted on the hoods and adapted to extend beyond the hoods to abut each other to provide an overhead cover for the rowboat between said hoods, each of said hood covers carrying depending flaps adapted to be rolled up and secured on the top of the hood cover, each of said frames having a Window pivotally mounted therein, each window being provided with means for holding the window in a pivotally adjusted position with respect to the frame, said hoods and hood covers being formed of transparent plastic material, said flaps being formed of transparent flexible material, each of said hoods having an inverted U-shaped cross section, each of said hood covers having an inverted U-shaped cross section whose interior surface conforms in curvature to the curvature of the exterior of the hood, each hood cover having depending sides with inturned and upwardly extending flanged ends defining grooves to engage free depending sides of the hoods, each of said hoods carrying flexible flaps secured to inner sides thereof.

3. A rowboat cover, comprising a pair of frames rcmovably supported near opposite ends of the rowboat in vertically upstanding positions, a pair of hoods carried at the top of the frames respectively and extending toward each other in cantilever fashion and hood covers slidably mounted on the hoods and adapted to extend beyond the hoods to abut each other to provide an overhead cover for the rowboat between said hoods, each of said frames being formed as an inverted U-shaped member with a central post, and a pair of window panes pivotally mounted between the post and opposite sides of the frame, said panes being pivotally supported on threaded pins, with a wing nut engaged on each pin for locking the panes in selected pivoted positions, said member having an inner molding providing stop elements to prevent inward pivoting of the window panes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,690,285 Fleming Nov. 6, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS 395,172 Germany Mar. 6, 1924 

